The following key points provide a brief description of BHP’s proposed 1175 Lee Hill community

Summary

• Two-story, 31-unit apartment community with on-site supportive services.
• Each apartment has its own bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room.
• It is a rental apartment community, not a shelter.

There are eligibility requirements.

• Must not earn more than 30% of Boulder’s area median income (about $19,500).
• Must demonstrate a motivation and willingness to participate in the program.
• Must have lived in Boulder for at least one year.
• Criminal background checks will be required; sex offenders are not allowed.

There are rules regarding residency.

• Residents will pay a monthly rent.
• Residents will abide by the terms of a lease or risk eviction.
• Residents must meet with a case manager in order to receive supportive services.
• Residents must meet the HUD definition of chronically homeless: (1) experienced homelessness for more than a year and (2) diagnosed with at least two disabling health conditions.
• Just like any other affordable rental unit, there is no time limit on the length of occupancy; residents can stay as long as they meet the residency requirements and abide by the lease.

Resident success will be evaluated based on three key criteria.

• Ability to stay housed for 2 years.
• Increased skills and income.
• Greater self-determination.

It is based on the Housing First model, a national best practice proven to end chronic homelessness and save taxpayer dollars.

• Formerly homeless individuals are more likely to achieve long-term stability through supportive services after they are housed.
• On-site case managers facilitate access to healthcare, counseling, job training and federal benefits.
• A Denver study found that emergency-related costs for Housing First participants decreased by 73% during a two-year period, a total annual savings of $31,545 per participant.

It will be designed and managed to integrate with the surrounding community.

• Proximity to BHP will maximize property management oversight and control operating costs.
• Humphries Poli Architects has designed similar, award-winning communities for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.
• Precautionary safety measures include security patrols, surveillance cameras, and restricted building access.

It is consistent with more than ten years of local planning and zoning regulations.

• It meets the City’s land use code definition: a facility providing long-term housing in multi-family dwelling units…where participation in a program of supportive services is required as a condition of residency to assist tenants in working towards independence from financial, emotional, or medical conditions that limit their ability to find housing for themselves.
• It is an allowable use under the site’s BT-2 (Business Transitional) zoning status.
• Expanding the Housing First program is a goal of the Boulder County 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness.

For additional information visit: www.boulderhousingpartners.org. Click “Housing Development” and “1175 Lee Hill.”